Page 28 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Dragon

He could hardly believe it himself. Hadn’t he met this woman just this morning? He quickened his thrusts, loving the way her lips parted, her breasts jiggling with the force of his movements. The truck rocked a little, but he didn’t care. All he could thinkabout was the woman lying beneath him, looking beautiful as ever as he drove them closer to their release.

“You deserve to feel amazing,” he heard himself say. A sigh of ecstasy rose from his throat, and for a second his eyes rolled into the back of his head. “You deserve all this pleasure.”

He grabbed a breast, kneading it until she moaned again, and stooped to cover it with his mouth. When he sucked her nipple, grazing it with his teeth, she let out a sharp gasp.

“Dammit, I love the way you make me feel.”

He maintained his pace, feeling her clench around him, and sucked harder on her breast, teasing her other nipple with one hand. The truck was rocking harder now, and for a fleeting moment, Henry wondered whether he’d left the gear in PARK or not. The last thing he needed right now was for the truck to start rolling across the plain while he was in the throes of his orgasm.

Speaking of which...he was getting pretty close already. With each thrust, he buried himself into her, and as she clenched around him, sending shudders of pleasure through his body, he tried to fight his release.

Not yet.He needed her to come first.

“Come for me, babe,” he urged, gyrating his hips with each thrust. “You can let go.”

Right on cue, her eyes grew even wider. For a few seconds, it seemed she’d stopped breathing. Then she let out a cry louder than the last, spasming as she came. Henry’s thrusts grew erratic, and soon he threw his head back, a guttural growl rising in his throat as he, too, found his release.

***

Afterward, they lay together in the truck bed, both completely unclad, their clothes draped over their bare bodies. Nora shifted slightly, resting her head against Henry’s chest. His heart drummed a steady beat in her ears, almost gentle enough to lullher to sleep. She let her fingers travel along his torso, caressing his abs.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed as they lay there, but at one point when she looked up at the sky, it had turned orange as the sun descended below the horizon.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “I can’t remember the last time I took my time to appreciate a sunset. It feels like it was eons ago.”

Henry said nothing, but she could tell he was thinking about what she’d said. In the past month, she’d barely had a regular life. Being on the run, barely eating, barely able to appreciate the little things like peace and quiet, or performing mundane tasks, or enjoying a sunset...it had been hell. Was she doomed to keep running from Ergog?

Guilt flickered in her chest as she recalled Henry attacking the hunter. She’d brought him into this.

“I can’t keep running,” she said, after what felt like minutes of more silence.

Henry’s chest stopped heaving for a second. She felt him tense a little. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been trying to get away from Ergog for over a month.” She sat up slowly, turning to look at him. “It’s never going to get easier. If I’m not on the run, I’m asking someone else to protect me. But this ismyproblem. It’s mine to deal with.”

He sat up as well, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown.

Before he could respond, she said, “I shouldn’t have roped you into this. Asking for your help was a mistake.”

“Was it?” he asked softly.

He didn’t sound hurt, but something about his response only made her guilt more pronounced. If she hadn’t asked for his help earlier, they wouldn’t be here now, entwined in the bed of his truck. Despite all that had happened, she could think of a few things she was grateful for, and most, if not all, were tied to him somehow.

“I just don’t think it’s fair to you,” she said. “You didn’t deserve to be brought into this mess.”

Henry took her hand, forcing her to look at him. His dark gaze was unwavering, and she thought she could see his resolve on his face.

“Well, it’s too late to change that now,” he said, and to her surprise, he cracked a grin. “I’m pretty sure the hunter’s got me on his kill list already.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “You want to face him? Sure. But you’re not doing it alone. I’m facing him with you. I know it all sounds crazy, especially since we just met, but...” He shrugged. “Won’t be the craziest thing I’ve heard or witnessed today.”

Nora couldn’t resist a mild chuckle. She leaned over and kissed him. There was no lust this time, no hunger. Only a rapid flutter in her ribcage. When she pulled back, he was staring at her with what looked like wonder.

“We should get dressed,” he said suddenly. “If we’re going to face Ergog, we’ll need to draw him to us again. And I’d rather not be butt-naked when he shows up.”

It took her a moment to understand what he was saying. “Wait, now?”

“It’s now or never.”

He had a point. They got dressed and hopped off the truck bed.